The European Patent Office (EPO) published on Tuesday the ranking of the most active applicants. Huawei is once again the leader in 2023, while the first French company, Valeo, appears outside the top 30.
In 2023, according to the latest ranking published this Tuesday March 19, 2024 by the European Patent Office, patent filings increased by 2.9%, driven by areas such as artificial intelligence and more environmentally friendly technological solutions. ‘environment. In total, last year the EPO received 199,275 applications, a record number. Although more and more European companies are filing patents, the growing share of applications comes from third countries, such as China and South Korea.
Huawei and Samsung dominate the ranking of patent applicants in Europe
And it was Huawei which, once again, was the main patent applicant in Europe, with 5,071 applications. The Shenzhen firm alone accounts for a quarter of deposits from China.
The company, which has been blacklisted in the United States for several years, is ahead of two South Korean players, namely Samsung (4,760 patent applications) and LG (3,498), which account for two thirds of their country’s filings.
The top 5 is then completed by Qualcomm (3,275) and Ericsson (1,969), the leading European player. Behind, we find Siemens (1,889), RTX (1,822), BASF (1,445), Royal Philips (1,299) and Sony (1,213), to complete the top 10. The Tech behemoths are further away, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, in 13th position (1,317 requests) just ahead of Microsoft (14th and 989 requests) then Apple (17th, 890 requests). And the French in all this?
Only two French actors in the top 50
The leading French applicant, and this has often been the case in recent years, remains Valeo. The automotive supplier filed 564 patent applications in 2023 on the Old Continent, which earned it the 33rd placee rank.
The second French actor and last French representative in the top 50, is at 39th place. This is the CEA, the Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission. With 523 patent applications in 2023, the CEA is the most innovative European research organization, with numerous acclaimed works in fields such as microelectronics, instrumentation, health and new energy technologies. “ The patents in its portfolio are extended on a case-by-case basis, in Europe and beyond, taking into account in particular the exploitation prospects of industrialists. », greets Marie-Astrid Ravon-Berenguer, general secretary of the CEA.
Let us finally add that Airbus ranks 28th of the ranking, with 678 deposits. The aircraft manufacturer is only partly French, but it remains one of the most innovative companies on the planet in Europe.
Source : EPO/EPO
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